American Foundation for Equal Rights

Marriage News Blog

Star Witness for Prop. 8 Now Supports Marriage Equality

David Blankenhorn, who was called by the Prop. 8 Proponents as their star witness against marriage for gay and lesbian couples, now says that he supports marriage equality.

In an op/ed published in today’s New York Times, Blankenhorn says:

“…I do believe, with growing numbers of Americans, that the time for denigrating or stigmatizing same-sex relationships is over. Whatever one’s definition of marriage, legally recognizing gay and lesbian couples and their children is a victory for basic fairness.

Instead of fighting gay marriage, I’d like to help build new coalitions bringing together gays who want to strengthen marriage with straight people who want to do the same.”

For Blankenhorn, marriage is about family. It’s an institution that strengthens our ties to each other and to society. We could not agree more.

Today’s announcement is somewhat of an evolution for the Prop. 8 witness, who is the founder and executive director of the Institute for American Values.

During the historic 2010 trial of Prop. 8, he admitted, under cross examination by AFER lead co-counsel David Boies, that we “would be more American” on the day gay and lesbian couples are allowed to marry. And more recently, he penned an editorial opposing North Carolina’s Amendment One, which has far reaching consequences, banning all forms of recognition in the state that are not marriage between straight people.

Increasingly, Americans support marriage equality. More than a dozen national polls now show majority support for allowing gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry.